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Zambia opposition leader warned against inciting people

Xinhua, May 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Zambian government on Thursday warned an opposition leader against inciting people to rise against the government.

On Wednesday, Geoffrey Mwamba, vice-president of the main opposition United Party for National Development (UPND), urged citizens to impound any government vehicle that will be driven by any minister following the dissolution of parliament.

The opposition leader urged citizens to effect citizen's arrest against ministers who would remain in office and use government facilities following the dissolution of parliament.

President Edgar Lungu has said ministers will remain in office following the dissolution of parliament in line with the constitution while stakeholders have charged that ministerial positions became vacant following the dissolution of parliament as they were appointed from parliament.

But Chief Government Spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili has warned the opposition leader against inciting people to rise against a legitimate government over baseless grounds.

"Mwamba's statement that people should effect a citizen's arrest on ministers that have remained in office after the dissolution of parliament is tantamount to inciting people to rise against government. He is warned not to dare government over his ignorance on the constitution," he said in a statement circulated to the media.

The Zambian minister said the opposition leader's statement was careless, unreasonable and a blatant lack of understanding of the constitution.

Lungu's decision to allow ministers to continue in office following the dissolution of parliament has divided the country, with critics saying it was an abuse of government resources.

Some lawyers have since gone to the Constitutional Court to seek its interpretation of the constitution on the status of ministers after the dissolution of parliament. Endit